One day Fumiko Ishioka, the coordinator of the Tokyo Holocaust
Education Centre, received a battered suitcase with the name Hana
Brady and the word ‘Waisenkind’ (orphan) painted on
the front. She had no idea that this suitcase would set her on
a journey that would not only change her life, but also the lives
of thousands of children around the world. With the help of her
young students (called the Small Wings), Fumiko decided to discover
all she could about a little girl named Hana.
Her quest to put a face to a name and an old suitcase took her
to the Czech Republic, where Hana was born in 1931, in the small
village of Nove Mesto. When the Nazis invaded, Hana’s parents
were imprisoned and she was sent to a concentration camp in the
walled city of Theresienstadt. In secret art classes, held without
the permission of the Nazi guards, children like Hana drew what
they saw and what they remembered of life before the war. These
images, of picnics, swaying trees, and people holding hands, prompted
Fumiko to go even further. Her search eventually led to Auschwitz,
where Hana’s name was marked with a single check mark, meaning
she had died at the camp. But just above Hana’s name, another
name was inscribed: George Brady, who had survived the war. Not
only had he survived, he was alive, well, and living in Toronto,
with a passel of children and grandchildren of his own. George
was Hana’s older brother.
Director Larry Weinstein’s stunning new documentary brings
Hana and George’s remarkable story to life using dramatic
recreations, family photographs, a gorgeously orchestrated soundtrack,
and interviews with the people who knew and loved Hana.
Children in Japan and Toronto, who have been moved by Hana and
George’s experiences, narrate the film. Inside Hana’s
Suitcase is told with immense grace, but packs a serious
emotional punch. Through the small window of one little girl’s
experience, the impact of the Holocaust hits home. Hana’s
suitcase has become an enduring symbol of love and courage, and
a potent reminder of the need to stand up to intolerance and hatred.
Her story, standing in for the many children silenced and lost
forever to history, is a poignant lesson from the past to the
future. “Somehow the story was meant to be told,”
says George. We are the better for it.
Classified for younger audiences. No membership required.
Director’s Biography
Born in 1956, Toronto director Weinstein formed Rhombus Media
with Niv Fichman and Barbara Willis Sweete in 1979. He has worked
throughout Europe, the US, Canada, and South America, with many
of the world’s major cultural broadcasters. His programs
have been televised in over 35 countries. With more than a dozen
award-winning films to his credit, he is one of the most sought-after
directors of music and arts films. Feature films documenting the
lives of twentieth century composers, such as Ravel, Weill, Arnold
Schoenberg, Shostakovich, Manuel de Falla, and Joaquín
Rodrigo, have received top awards and have been screened at major
film festivals throughout the world. His films have earned numerous
Gemini Awards celebrating the best in Canadian television production.
